RET Introduction to Literature Searching

Here is what I covered today:

• Why are we here?

**Invited to help you prepare for the literature searching aspect of your research projects**

• What is scientific literature? including:
  • What is the lifecycle of scientific information?
  • What is peer review?
  • What is the difference between primary, secondary, and tertiary literature?
• How do you search for scientific literature? including:
  • What can library databases do for you that Google and Wikipedia (most often) can't?
  • How do you choose which database to search? (There are 100's!)
  • How do you develop a database search strategy?
  • How do you successfully input a search strategy into a database?
  • How do you expand searches with too few results AND/OR narrow searches with too many results?

Here is what I didn't get to cover, but you can explore on your own, or ask me questions about at any time:

• Research logs - save time by being efficient and organized in your searching - see the "Search Strategy Template" download below
• Linking to database articles
• Need an item not available through the Purdue Libraries? Use Interlibrary Loan
• Managing your citations - Endnote, Zotero

Getting Help - Purdue:

• Email Prof. Sapp Nelson with questions or Schedule a Meeting/Consultation
• General Help: Ask-A-Librarian

Getting Help - Tuskegee:

• Contact Jonathan Underwood, Information Literacy Librarian junderwwood@mytu.tuskegee.edu,